Raith grinned wickedly and pecked his mate onthe cheek. “Don’t worry. You’ll love it.”
A quiet sigh fell from his lips, and October leaned into him just slightly as the muscles in his shoulders and back began to relax. “Okay, Raith. You have seventy-two hours. When do we start?”
Pulling his lover’s shirt free from his waistband, Raith pushed his hands under the fabric to span across the smooth, warm flesh of October’s abs. His lips trailed up the curve of the vampire’s throat, and he swirled his tongue along the pulsing vein.
His cock hardened inside his jeans, swelling rapidly as all the deliciously dirty things he wanted to do to his mate flittered through his mind. His turgid length ached as it pressed against his zipper, bent at an unnatural angle and begging for freedom.
Yes, they had work to do, but it wouldn’t kill Nicholas to wait for just a few more minutes. As revved up as Raith felt, it was sad to say, but it probably wouldn’t take much longer than that.
“Right now,” he rasped against October’s collarbone. “We start right now.”
Chapter Nine
He knew he should say no. He knew he should tell Raith that it wasn’t good manners to keep a guest waiting. They had a hundred different things to do before the sun rose and not a lot of time to accomplish their goals.
However, there were several reasons why he didn’t say no. One, he’d made a deal, and he never welched on a contract. Two, his heart felt like it had been shredded and left to bleed on the floor when Raith had talked about leaving. Never again did he want to feel the way he had duringthose few horrible moments. The biggest reason he didn’t call a halt to his lover’s roaming hands was because it just felt too damn good.
Perhaps Raith had a point. Maybe October did need to let go of some things. More importantly, he needed to make more time for his partner, time where they could be alone together without the demands of his position interfering. He didn’t think he’d been trying to run Raith’s life for him, but clearly Raith believed it, and therefore, his actions weresomething he’d need to consider more carefully in the future.
The past had a way of repeating itself, but October would be damned if he’d let things end with Raith the way they had with Rastas. What his new mate saw as overbearing and controlling, October preferred to view as protectiveness. He might have gone a little too far at times, but it was all done with Raith’s best interests in mind.
“This isn’t going to work with your mind somewhere else.” Shaking off his conflicting and confusing thoughts, October submersed himself in the moment, focusing his full attention on the feel of Raith’s mouth and hands on him. His shirt was torn open in an aggressive display of power that popped the buttons from the fabric and sent them flying around the room. The clasp on his slacks received no gentler treatment, and within seconds, Raith had his clothes reduced to shreds at his feet.
When was the last time he’d been wanted with such intensity? When was the last time someone was so eager to touch him that he couldn’t wait the extra time it would take to properly remove the layers of clothing? It was a heady feeling to be so desired, and his cock responded with enthusiasm, lengthening and swelling so quickly that it left him dizzy.
Once he was completely nude except for his socks, Raith spun him around and shoved him roughly toward the mattress. “Hands and knees,” his lover ordered in a voice drenched with authority.
He didn’t say anything, wouldn’t admit it aloud, but his cock pulsed and flexed in testament to how much the manhandling aroused him. No one ever treated him with anything but the utmost respect. He’d worked damn hard to attain his position, and felt he’d earned the reverence, but being in power meant he was always “on.” No matter the situation or the company, he had a certain image to uphold, and very rarely did he get to just be himself.
Everyone looked to him for answers and solutions to their problems. If a crisis arose, he was to be calm and collected with the perfect resolution at the tips of his fingers. Never could he show weakness. Never was he to behave in any way that wasn’t proper or regal. And never, under any circumstances, could he show people a glimpse of the scared and uncertain man he’d been half a millennium ago.
“Stop thinking so much,” Raith mumbled against his skin as his lips trailed up October’s spine. “Just relax and let me take care of you.”
Two lubed fingers skimmed along his crease and pressed between the globes of his ass to zero in on his clenching entrance. “What?”
Raith snorted and nipped at the flesharound his hip. “I do happen to be a witch, Tober. Did you think I had no magical abilities at all?”
He was fully aware of the power Raith possessed, but he supposed he’d never really thought about if the man could conjure lubricant out of thin air. It wasn’t the best use of his magic, but it was damn handy in situations like these.
“Relax,” Raith coaxed. One palm smoothed along October’s spine, applying pressure until he got the hint and lowered his chest to the mattress. “Forget about everything and just feel. I promise it will all still be waiting when we leave this room.”
Long, thick fingers pushed into his hole without warning, pulling a garbled groan from his chest. The burn was slight, and he welcomed it like an old friend as Raith began to pump his digits in and out of October’s channel. Raith didn’t spend a lot of time preparing him, knowing how much he craved the fleeting bite of pain that accompanied the beginning of their coupling.
His mate probably knew him much better than October was willing to admit. Part of it could simply be intuition, but each time they came together, he was always overcome with that same sense of familiarity he’d felt their first time. He hadn’t yet figured out what it meant. Maybe it meant nothing. Somehow, he didn’t believe that, though.
“I want to see you.” He tried to inch forward, to move away from Raith’s wandering hands so he could flip over, but he didn’t make it far.
A hard, stinging swat landed on his upturned ass, while Raith’s other hand held a firm grip on his waist, keeping him securely in place. “No.”
“Raith, knock it off and let me move.”
“No,” his mate repeated. “You are not in charge here. If you want to stop, I’ll stop.” October’s arms suddenly flung out to his sides where his wrists were pinned to the mattress by some invisible force. “Do you want to stop?”
No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free of the magical hold on his arms, and being restrained added a spike to his lust that he hadn’t expected. His heart tripped into a high gallop, a flush worked across his skin, and his throbbing cock was hard enough to cut glass. Fire burned through his blood. He felt lightheaded with arousal, and his hole clenched and relaxed greedily, eager to be filled.
“Do you want me to stop?” Raith repeated as he rubbed the head of his dick over October’s opening in a teasing manner.
He’d never been bound before, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it. Raith was always surprising him, and this time was no exception. He’d be a damn fool to stop his lover simply because his modesty and sense of propriety were barely hanging on by a thread, especially when he so desperately wanted everything Raith could give him.
“No,” he panted. “Don’t stop.” There was something freeing in his submission. Even if it was for just a short time, tucked away in their bedroom where no one could see, October was able to shut down, let go, and trust that his mate would be there to catch him when he fell.
“Good.” Raith groaned gutturally as he sheathed himself inside October’s clenching channel in one hard thrust. His fingers dug into the meaty flesh of October’s bottom, pulling his cheeks apart and spreading him open. “You should see how gorgeous you look with your tight ass wrapped around my cock.”
Raith began a slow rhythm, pumping inand out of October’s hole in measured glides. “You’ve never been restrained before, have you?”
“No.” His lover’s rigid shaft stretched his inner walls, and he swore he coul
d feel each vein of Raith’s cock rubbing against the taut muscles of his entrance. “Never.”
Those strong hands left his backside and traveled up his ribs in a barely-there caress. Raith followed the movement with the rest of his body, burying himself to the hilt as he leaned over October to blanket him. “You like it, though,” he rasped into October’s ear. “You love what I’m doing to you.”
He could say anything he wanted, but his body would betray the lie. “Yes,” he whispered.
He loathed feelings of vulnerability or helplessness, but this was different. Raith might be in control. He might have October at his mercy. One word would change all of that, though. With that thought in mind, October could relax and just feel without worry or indecision of what to do next. For once, the only thing being asked of him was to do nothing more than simply breathe.
“Good.” Raith pushed away from him, and October barely managed not to whimper when cool air replaced the warm, damp skin of his mate.
As though his invisible bonds were connected to equally intangible ropes, his arms were pulled behind him, slowly turning and elongating so that his knuckles rested against the small of his back. Raith’s large hand surrounded both of his wrists, pressing them into his spine while he held the top of October’s thigh in his other hand.
The tempo steadily increased, growing to a crescendo until Raith was driving into him with bone-jarring intensity. Each hard, demanding plunge into his channel was met with equal enthusiasm on his part, and he used the bit of leverage he had to meet his partner thrust for thrust.
Raith’s primal grunts echoed around the room to mix with October’s muffled moans. His muscles tensed, his heart thundered loudly, and a sheen of perspiration damped his skin as his body burned with unbridled desire. Curving his spine and tilting his hips, he presented the perfect angle for deeper penetration, silently begging for more.
Releasing his wrists, Raith slipped his hands into October’s and interlocked their fingers. “Come for me, Tober. Don’t hold back. Give me everything.” He pulled hard on October’s arms, lifting his chest from the mattress as he continued his challenging tempo.
No longer able to stifle the sounds of his pleasure against the comforter, his cries rang out through the room and reverberated off the walls. His cock swelled to the point of pain, his balls churned with the need for release, and currents of electricity raced up and down his spine. Still, he stubbornly refused to yield to his mate’s orders.
“That’s two,” Raith warned him, but he sounded all too pleased by the prospect of doling out punishment later. Pushing October back to the mattress, Raith held him in place with one hand to the back of his neck while he reached beneath him to fist his throbbing dick with the other. “Now,” he growled. “Come for me.”
Two hard snaps of his hips and the rub of his fingers along the underside of October’s crown was all it took. The dominance, the control, and the uncompromising tone were such powerful aphrodisiacs thatOctober couldn’t have held back any longer if he’d tried.
With a primitive yell, he shuddered and bucked, twisting, beneath his lover as his balls unloaded in a torrent of thick, creamy seed. His inner walls contracted, gripping Raith’s thick cock in a vise hold, which caused the witch to groan right along with him as his entire body went stiff.
Heated wetness filled his convulsing depths, adding another layer to the already overwhelming sensations that detonated inside his body. Raith collapsed on top of him, cocooning him with his larger, more muscular frame.
“Are you okay? I was a little rough on you.”
“I’m perfect,” October answered honestly. “Thank you, draga.”
Raith chuckled breathlessly as he placed a chaste kiss against October’s sweaty temple. “Trust me. It was my pleasure.”
“No.” He pushed upward, and Raith got the hint, rolling off of him and to his side. Turning so that he could look into his mate’s eyes, October reached out and rested his palm against the side of Raith’s neck. “I wasn’t thanking you for the sex, though it was amazing. Thank you for giving me another chance.”
“You chased me for long enough,” Raith responded. “You didn’t give up on me, even when I was a total bastard. I figured I at least owed you the same in return.” That sexy, cocky grin returned, and he dipped his head to peck at October’s lips. “That doesn’t mean you’re getting out of our deal, though. You’re all mine for the next seventy- two hours.”
Raith might not realize it, and October wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone but himself, but he already belonged to the witch, and the ownership would last much longer than threedays. “We need to shower.”
“I like the thought of you walking around with my cum in your ass.”
October’s mouth fell open, and he gaped at the man with scandalized outrage. “I beg your pardon?”
“Ah, you don’t have to beg, sugar. I’ll give you whatever you want.” He winked roguishly and slid off the mattress. “Relax. I’m messing with you.” He smacked October on the hips, and jostled him around on the bed. “Move that sweet behind. We’ve got work to do.”
Rolling his eyes, October rose to his feet and leveled his mate with a look of mock disdain. “You are a complete and utter ass, Raith Braddock.”
“Yep, and you love it. Don’t even pretend that you don’t.”
Not only did the guy have a point, but he was beginning to learn that it was pointless to argue with Raith about anything. Somehow, the witch always managed to get his way. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he was being manipulated. Raith was far too direct for tricks like that, though.
He’d have time later to contemplate the conundrum that was his mate. Right then, they had a job to do, and he needed to get his head in the game. Granted, he was feeling much calmer and more relaxed about the task after their impromptu bout of earthshattering sex. “Are you ready for this?”
Raith was going to have to use real magic—not cheap parlor tricks like producing lube—for the first time since syphoning the dark energy. October wouldn’t deny that he was a bit nervous about how it would affect his lover.
“I’m ready,” Raith assured him, dropping the teasing lilt to his tone. He turned to walk toward the bathroom, but paused and glanced over his shoulder with a hesitant look. “Just stick close in case something goes wrong.”
The words came naturally, and October found himself making the same promise he’d issued the night he’d finally convinced Raith to give him a chance. “I’ll won’t let you fall, draga.” And if for some reason he failed in that objective, he’d be right there to catch him.
Chapter Ten
“This is the last time I’m going to ask you.” For ne arly two hours, he’d done everything except bargain and plead with the man to gain information about his brother’s whereabouts. He might have even slipped a time or two and actually hit the asshole. All Phillip did was smile at him as though he knew the intricate workings of the universe and wasn’t willing to share.
“Ask away,” Phillip taunted him. “The answer will still be the same. I don’t know where Mikko is, and I don’t care. I hope he rots in Purgatory.”
Raith cocked his arm back to drive his fist into the vampire’s nose again, but October caught him around the elbow and shook his head. “That’s not going to work. You’re better than that, Raith.”
Well, he sure as hell didn’t feel better than that. He felt like he wanted to pummel the guy until Phillip spilled every secret he’d harbored since kindergarten.
“He’s right,” Nicholas agreed. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.” He knew full well what Nicholas was implying, and he’d been stalling, trying to gain information without needing to resort to his magic. Whatever front he put on for his mate, he was more than a little worried about the way things would play out if he resorted to that. Could he contain it? Or would the darkness conquer him and end up hurting someone?
What if he liked the almost infinite power? Would he be able to find his way back? Fro
m what he understood, Phillip McCarthy had once been a good man, but he’d allowed the evilness to poison him. Could that possibly be Raith’s destiny? With living proof kneeling before him, he didn’t think his concerns were completely unwarranted.
It wasn’t about him, though. It wasn’t just about Mikko, either. Something much bigger than them was coming. He couldn’t put a name to it, but he could feel it like a charge in the air right before a storm. There was a reason each witch from that original circle had been born into the same family for the first time since they’d been cursed. There was a reason they were all supposed to come together, and Raith couldn’t stand in the way of fate.
“Tell me where he is.” He heard himself speaking the words, but he was no longer in the small holding cell in Snake River. Raith wasn’t even sure it was him who’d actually shouted the words.
A man stood in front of him, towering above him with a smirk that curled his upper lip as though Raith was something he looked forward to crushing under his massive boot. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit,” Raith spat. “You know damn well who I am. Where is he?”
“You’re brave to come here without protection.” He was the alpha of a local werewolf pack. Raith didn’t understand how he knew that, but if he probed just a bit deeper, he felt certain that he also knew the man’s name.
“And you’re foolish to think that I can’t take care of myself. Now, tell me where my mate is. What haveyou done to him?”
“I haven’t done anything to your precious hybrid. He knows his place.” The guy advanced on him with malice flashing in his hazel eyes. “You obviously need to learn yours.”
Raith danced out of the way as the alpha lunged for him. “Oh, andyou think you’ll be the one to teach me?” He laughed at the arrogant ignorance. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
The alpha echoed his laughter, but it was chilling and cruel. “Of course, Rastas.” Who the hell was Rastas? “Why do you think I allow my pet to keep you? Once I tame you, I have no doubt that you’ll be very useful.”
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